EC Un-Plugged:

From bridal showers and wedding receptions, to rehearsal dinners and more, Entertainment Cruises offers beautifully unique spaces for all wedding-related events. Just ask Lauren C. She celebrated her special day aboard Spirit of Philadelphia earlier this year. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

We booked our wedding well over a year in advance on the Spirit of Philadelphia. Throughout the entire process (beginning well before the standard two months prior to the date of our wedding) there was an open line of communication between myself and our event coordinator. Any questions I had, I felt 100% comfortable sending a quick email to ask. As our wedding day approached, there was more constant contact with our coordinator—she even gave me her cell number so I could call/text after hours if needed.

The day of, we were able to have everything dropped off to the location and she and the remainder of the staff took care of everything so that we and our bridal party could focus on getting ready and taking photos. The ceremony was beautiful on the observation deck with the Captain as our officiant—talk about original! During our reception, the entire staff went out of their way to make sure that not only my new husband and I were taken care of, but that our guests were as well. The food was amazing. It was prepared well and served hot and there was plenty of it for our guests!

The venue included dinner, optional bar packages, optional hors d’oeuvres, an optional wedding cake package (with an external vendor) and a DJ who we were able to meet before the wedding—and allowed us to provide as much or as little song guidelines as we wanted. So much was included that we had very little to worry about outside of the venue!

I would recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a more unique venue. You can do as much or as little additional as you would like since there is already a ton of ambiance, class and natural beauty that comes with the location. Our service was amazing and now more than a month after the wedding, our family and friends still keep telling us what a great time they had and that it was the best wedding that they had ever gone to.

I give most of the credit to the staff that worked that night. Without them and the service they provided, so much could have been less than I imagined it would be. Instead, it was everything and more! It really was the perfect day and my husband and I thank the team of people that we worked with to make our day special, from the bottom of our hearts!

If you or someone you know is in the midst of wedding planning, we can help. Just click here to start planning your happily ever after on the water.

We’ve been hard at work in Philadelphia, and we cannot wait for you to see what all this fuss is about. The Spirit of Philadelphia will be vibrant. Bold. More colorful than ever before. Modern from bow to stern. Completely redesigned with a contemporary, comfortable feel.

Plain and simple, you’ll love it.

The new and unique up-lit bar.

The plasma TVs.

The flexible lighting.

The new, interactive dance floors.

The new, lit atrium with decorative artistic elements.

The new ceiling design.

You’ll. Love. It.
We’ll even have new 2011 menus that cater to your new favorite tastes.

We’re going all out for our $1.5 Million Renovation. And soon (very, very soon), you’re going to get to experience it for yourself.

You can bring a friend, loved one, business group, tour group, senior group, university group, church group, student group, clients, whomever – leave it to us to fully impress.

Events we do best:

Anniversaries | Birthdays | Reunions |Meetings | Conventions | Fundraisers | Singles Mixers |Church Outings | Bar & Bat Mitzvahs | Fundraisers | Employee Outings | Fraternity/Sorority Events | Proms and Post-prom Parties | Field Trips | and Everything in Between!

Learn more. See pictures. Be one of the first to cruise on our reinvigorated vessel.

Click here or call 866.455.3866.

For 2010, Spirit introduced:
-    New Menus
-    New Entertainment
-    New Management
-    New Attitude
And became:
-    #1 in quality within the largest dinner cruise company in the U.S., Entertainment Cruises.

Coming in 2011, Spirit will unveil a $1.5 million renovation, featuring:
– Colorful LED Lighting
– Interesting Textures
– Completely Modern Design
– Unique Urban Feel
– New Carpets
– New Chairs
– Contemporary Table Settings
– Flexible Lighting that can Set the mood for any Event

Take a look at our new lit glass-face bar. The unique LED lighting at the toe of the bar makes it pop with a lighter, brighter feel. Plus, we’ll have flat-screen plasma TVs for your viewing pleasure.

Our new dance floor will feature festively vibrant lighting that responds and moves to the sounds of the beat, creating a strobe-light feel. Notice the decorative metal cut-out perimeter of the Mezzanine. The entire deck is light, bright, full of movement and free of worry and distraction.

Here’s one of our most exciting new design features: a lit atrium with decorative artistic elements. We can make it happen in any color you desire. If reds and purples don’t fit the needs of your event, tell us. We can do whatever you’d like.

What does all of this mean?

Well, do you have a special occasion or any group event to plan in 2011?

I’m going to guess you probably do. And with our unique redesign, we can wash the deck in whichever colors you wish.

Is your favorite color blue? We can wash the deck in blue.
Does your occasion call for romance? Let us feature white, enchanting lighting.
Want the total party atmosphere? We’ll do a vibrant mix of whichever hues you’d most like.
We can customize the whole morning, afternoon or evening in any color with our special, unique use of LED lighting. Green, yellow, pink, orange, red…you name it. We can do it.

With our experienced event professionals and exceptional customer service, no other venue can compare with all that the Spirit of Philadelphia has to offer. Entertaining Philly for 25 years. And counting.

Thanks for reading. Talk to you next week.

If you haven’t yet experienced the refreshed Spirit of Philadelphia, you should.

Why? What’s different?

- The management: Under new management, we have a fresh attitude that our guests simply love

• The entertainment: our talented singing waitstaff will surprise you with their brilliant vocal abilities
• The food: we have carefully crafted new menus to please any number of tastes
• The quality scores: they’ve improved by 15% this year! That’s a big deal.

Making Penn’s Landing home for 25 years, the Spirit is truly a unique, one-of-kind Philly treat. Come check it out. You’ll be so glad you did. But don’t simply listen to me.

Look what our guests have been saying…

About our BOARDING/DISEMBARKING PROCESS:

“All crew members were very friendly and made us feel like first class guests when boarding and departing the ship.” Valerie, July Dinner Cruise

“They were the most pleasant people. The boarding was a very pleasant surprise and the singing from the staff was exciting. We’ll be back.” Celia, August Lunch Cruise

About the FOOD:

“The food was wonderful. Thank you for giving so many choices.” – Marjory, July Dinner Cruise

“The food, like everything else, was amazing. Hats off to the staff and chef for the great food.” – Toni, August Lunch Cruise

About our SERVICE:

“We felt like we were in a five-star hotel and nothing less.” Charles, July Dinner Cruise

“Saveth was a great server! We were all over the boat and she would come find us to make sure we had everything we wanted.” Douglas, August Dinner Cruise

About the ENTERTAINMENT:

“The DJ was excellent. He played the Electric Slide, Cha-Cha Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. He also played a variety of music from every era. The staff performances were funny and interactive. The singing was very good. I loved the way that they walked around and sang with the customers.” – Heather, July Lunch Cruise

“The entertainment was very exciting and very vibrant!!!” – Mark, July Dinner Cruise

About the OVERALL EXPERIENCE:

“We took my aunt on the cruise to celebrate her 80th birthday. Everything was perfect and everyone was wonderful to her. She told me it was the best time she had had in 20 years!” Kathy, July Lunch Cruise

“Really, the whole experience was so pleasant that I am going to recommend Spirit to anyone celebrating a special occasion. Thank you so much!” Dannette, August Lunch Cruise

Hope you enjoyed reading. ‘Til next week!

Like Champagne?
How ‘bout free Champagne? There’s not really anything better on a hot summer’s eve. Pair that with a feast of fresh salads, salmon, chicken, pasta, accompaniments and desserts, live performances by your waiters and waitresses, DJ music for showing off those awesome moves and views like you’ve never before seen from Spirit of Philadelphia’s open-air deck – and you’ve got it made.

Kick-back and relax on select Friday nights this summer with a complimentary glass of champagne in hand and the awesome city sights surrounding you as you mingle with loved ones and friends.
All aboard our Friday Champagne Dinner Cruises.

Planning a group event?
The Spirit of Philadelphia can accommodate your group of hundreds on festive climate-controlled decks any day of the year.

Perfect For:
- Church Groups
- Corporate Groups
- Social Groups
- Student Groups
- University Groups
- Senior Groups
- Faculty Groups

The kind of events we do:
- Fundraisers
- Employee Outings
- Conventions
- Meetings
- Reunions
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Any other social/business event

Why is Spirit the best venue for your group event?
- Easy to plan (our event planners will do it all)
- One price gets you everything you need (no one will be complaining when we give them all the food, fun, entertainment and views they could ever want)
- Flexible Cruising Schedules (charter a deck or full ship and we’ll work with you to make it all work)
- Customization Options make your event uniquely yours (different than any other event that ever came before!)

Fill out a Request for Proposal today!

Here’s a glimpse at what past guests have said about the Spirit of Philadelphia:

“The food was wonderful. The variety of food appealed to all appetites!”
“The dance music was great – good for all ages. The service staff was fun to watch and listen to.”
“Staff was knowledgeable and friendly at all times.”
“Our evening and experience were First Class. The boat and staff were so accommodating and friendly. We had an amazing birthday celebration. Thank you!”

The list goes on, but I will leave it at this for now.

I’ll end with a couple of very interesting, eye-opening links for you New York/New Jersey folks (and those of us that wish we were):

http://www.womanaroundtown.com/traveling-around/starry-starry-night-cruising-around-manhattan

http://www.womanaroundtown.com/galleries/bateaux-new-york-a-magnificent-trip-around-manhattan